THE United States government was forced into issuing an apology to the Qatari nation – after two US soldiers were filmed laughing near the country's flag.

The video, which was posted on YouTube, shows two soldiers talking to the camera while standing in front of the US and Qatari flag.

A male soldier on the left of the video can be seen laughing before he starts talking about the pair's whereabouts.

He says he is speaking from "an unknown disclosed location in a place called..." before grunting and pointing towards the Qatari flag in the background.

The female soldier on the right continues to laugh at her colleague, only stopping to say they both "need to be serious," before bursting into another fit of laughter.

CNN

The US were forced to apologise after these two soldiers apparently mocked the Qatari flag

I offered my apologies to the Qatari government and I asked America military leaders to investigate and take the proper ethical measures

US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith

A voice from behind the camera can be heard saying: "This is as serious as it gets".

Despite the harmless nature of the video, Qatar's government summoned the American ambassador Dana Shell Smith to explain the video and the actions of the soldiers.

In the Middle Eastern country, it is illegal to insult or show a lack of respect for the flag.

Violators of this particular law can face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 Riyal (£37,000).

Mrs Smith issued a hasty apology on Twitter to diffuse the incident. In Arabic, she wrote: "Dear followers, please trust that though soldiers were making fun of themselves and not the country of Qatar.

"I offered my apologies to the Qatari government and I asked America military leaders to investigate and take the proper ethical measures."

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Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook also stepped into offer an apology to Qatar.

He said: "We sincerely refer any offence the video may have caused in Qatar."

Mr Cook added that members of the US military should be held to the "highest standards of personal conduct" while he promised the Pentagon would take the "appropriate action" pending the completion of an investigation into the soldiers' conduct.